Stocks in the news: Philips Electronics, Blackstone, Lazard

Royal Philips Electronics NV (PHG) reported a better than expected net profit of euro174 million ($256 million) for the third quarter on Monday, three times the depressed levels of a year ago, due to cost-cutting measures. Still, the company said sales fell 11 percent. Shares jumped over 6 percent in pre-market trade.

Blackstone Group (BX) is planning to list up to eight of its portfolio companies, according to a source who received a letter the firm sent to investors on Friday. The letter also says that Blackstone is in the process of five sales of companies it owns this year. Of these, four have already been announced and one is imminent, the source said. Shares gained over 4 percent ahead of the bell.
Barclays Plc (BCS) is planning to spin off a 4-billion-pound ($6.35 billion) portfolio of complex credit assets as it presses ahead with a process to clean up its balance sheet, the Financial Times reported. Shares fell nearly 2 percent in pre-market.

Lazard Ltd (LAZ) said on Sunday that Chairman and CEO Bruce Wasserstein had been hospitalized for an irregular heartbeat.

Citigroup Inc. (C) will pay $600,000 to settle a regulator's claims that it inadequately supervised transactions that helped international customers avoid U.S. taxes on stock dividends, Bloomberg reported.

National Semiconductor Corp. (NSM) said late Friday that Donald Macleod will succeed Brian Halla as CEO when Halla retires on Nov. 30, but that Halla will remain chairman.